MILLVILLE — Rescue was needed for a diabetic man whose boat was taking on water and caught out on the Maurice River, unable to get back to land this morning.

The man contacted rescuers by cell phone and reported that he felt weak, dizzy and possibly faint.

The man was taken in an ambulance to a nearby hospital.

The Millville Fire Department and Millville Rescue Squad responded to the call. Millville police were also present at the scene.

"The call went out at about 4:30 a.m.," said Chief Kurt Hess, Millville Fire Department. "A boat made a distress call and rescuers went out and brought him back to the dock."

A command center was set up Fowser Road off Route 47 in Millville.

There were a total of three boaters on the craft, a 36-foot Pacemaker.

Hess and fellow rescuers could not be certain what the boaters were doing out there. But he thinks, because the conditions are typically calmer in that area, the boaters were probably trying to ride out the storm.

Although other boaters were around, they were unable to make contact. Due to the lack of daylight, rescue squads were having trouble finding the boater.

Rescue requested that the boater shoot a flare in order to make visual contact.

"The rescue initially requested that because there was some trouble making visual contact," Hess said. "But once rescuers got beyond the bend, visual was made."